UK Braces for Thunderstorms Amidst Deepening Drought

Fifteen to twenty-five millimeters of rain will fall within one to two hours, potentially reaching 40mm over three to six hours. The Met Office warns that "slow-moving heavy showers and thunderstorms may cause some disruption."

Forecasters indicate little rain is anticipated for central and southern England. Meteorologists suggest no significant rainfall will reach the area for some time.

Marco Petagna, a Met Office forecaster, stated, "It’s looking pretty dry (for southern England)," adding that "nothing significant on the horizon for the South East."

He also noted that "even for the second half of the month (August), rainfall totals are more likely to be below normal than above, with a potential for further spells of hot weather at times as well."

July marked the driest month ever recorded in southern England, contributing to half of England being declared in drought by the Environment Agency. Dorset joined the drought declaration on Wednesday.

Several parts of England currently face water restrictions, including hosepipe bans, as a result of the prolonged dry spell. The Environment Agency warned that people are using water faster than nature can replenish it.

Major supermarkets pulled disposable barbecues from sale due to the heightened wildfire risk. This follows firefighters tackling blazes in Dunwich, Suffolk, and the Cairngorms.

Temperatures are expected to cool on Wednesday to average for the time of year, settling in the low 20s. However, they could return to heatwave levels next week, with London potentially seeing highs of 29C in the second half of next week.

Despite the dry conditions in the south, flood alerts have been issued for seven areas in Scotland. One area also received a flood warning.

Affected areas in Scotland include Central, Tayside & Fife (Angus, Perth and Kinross), Grampian (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray), and Highlands & Eilean Siar (Highland).